A Guide to Tango Terminology

compiled by Ed Loomis for Sacramento Tango
Last updated 13 December 2005

This list is part of an ongoing effort to educate and assist the friends
and enthusiasts of Sacramento Tango in their pursuit of the lovely dance
called Tango. It is intended to be used as a tool for students to
use when encountering new or conflicting terms in class and should not
be viewed as a final authority on the subject. Major sources for
this information are Daniel Trenner's Spanish-English
Dance Vocabulary, Cyber-Tango's
FAQ
- Definition of Tango Terms, Tango Times published by Danel
and Maria, Mrs. Barbara Garvey, señora Nora Dinzelbacher, señor
Orlando Paiva, Mrs. Gigi Jensen, Ms. Christy Coté, Ms. Debbie Goodwin,
señor Mario Poli, señor Alberto Paz, Mr. Arthur Greenberg,
Ms. Michelle Wright, señor Polo Talnir, Mr. Stephen Brown and señor
Salvador Zuccala. As an ongoing project, the effort may never be
complete so additions, corrections, and suggestions will always be welcome.
Many Happy Tangos. – Ed Loomis

Pronunciation Guide:• In Buenos Aires 'll' or 'y' is pronounced 'zh', almost an English
'j';
• a 'qu' sounds like the 'c' in cat;
• a 'z' is pronounced like 's';
• and a Spanish 'j' is a hard, throaty 'h' sound.

Aficionado — From afición - liking;
amateur; fancier: An enthusiastic admirer or follower; a devotee or a fan
of something, such as tango.

Agujas — Needles: An adornment for the man done with the working
foot vertical with the toe into the floor while pivoting inside a molinete.

Al costado — To the side.

Amague — (from amagar - to make a threatening
motion) a feint: An amague is used as an embellishment either led or done
on one’s own, and may be used before taking a step. An example of
an amague may be a beat (frappé) before taking a step. See
Cuatro.

Apilado Style — Piled on: As
used in tango, the reference is to the way a jockey is "piled on" his horse,
when racing—hugging the neck. See Milonguero
Style.

Arrabal — The slums.

Arrabalero — A person of low social status. A person of
simple and direct ways who speaks plainly and uses coarse language.
A slum dweller.

Baldosa — A walking box figure named after
the black & white checkerboard tile floors which are common in Buenos
Aires. See Cuadrado.

Barrida — A sweep; a sweeping motion: One
partner’s foot sweeps the other’s foot and places it without losing contact.
Barridas are done from either the outside or the inside of the foot of
the receiving party. The technique is different for the inside and
outside barridas. See Arrastre and Llevada.

Bandoneón — An accordion like musical instrument originally
created to provide missionaries with portable pipe organ music for religious
services in remote locales which has been adopted by tango musicians to
create the mournful and soulful sound of modern tango music.

Barrio — A district or neighborhood.

Basico — The basic pattern. There
are several basic patterns, the most common of which is the 8-count
basic.

Bicicleta — Bicycle: A circular movement of the feet led by the
man in the vertical plane with the couples feet pressed together as in
a barrida.

Boleo — From bolear - To throw: a boleo may
be executed either high or low. Keeping the knees together, with
one leg back, swivel and return on the supporting leg with a whipping action
of the working leg. Sometimes spelled Voleo. See Latigazo.

Brazos — Arms.

C

Cabeceo — (from cabeza; head): Traditional
technique for selecting dance partners from a distance at the milongas
in Buenos Aires by using eye contact and head movements. Also see
Codigos.

Cadena — The chain; enchainement: An athletic and very theatrical
turning figure which moves rapidly across the floor turning left or right,
in which the couple alternate amagues (cuatros)
or ganchos. Another variation involves the
man stepping outside left or right in crossed feet and leading the lady
in a change of direction to keep her in front of him as he turns, alternately
going around her and bringing her around him.

Cadencia — A deep check and replace, usually
led by the man as he steps forward left. Useful for avoiding collisions
and making direction changes in small spaces. May also refer to a
subtle shifting of weight from foot to foot in place and in time with the
music done by the man before beginning a dance to give the lady the rhythm
he intends to dance and to ensure that she will begin with him on the correct
foot. See Balanceo.

Caida — Fall: A step in which the man steps backward, sinks on
his supporting leg, and crosses his working leg in front without weight
while leading the lady to step forward in outside position, sink on her
supporting leg and cross her working leg behind without weight. Caida
may be done to either side.

Calesita — Carousel; the merry-go-round:
A figure in which the man places the lady on one foot with a lifting action
of his frame and then dances around her while keeping her centered over,
and pivoting on, her supporting leg. Sometimes referred to as the
Stork
when the lady’s leg is lifted in the
cuatro position.

Cambio — Change: as in cambio defrente, change of the front or
face; or cambio parejas, change the couple (change partners).

Caminada — The walking steps; a walking
step.

Caminando (Caminar) Valsiado — A crossing and walking step which
the man initiates at 3 of the 8-count basic
as he steps forward right in outside right position, pivoting to his right
on his right foot and leading the lady to pivot on her left foot, stepping
side left (side right for the lady) and drawing his right leg under him
with weight (the lady mirroring with her left). The man then steps
forward left in outside left position, pivoting to the left on his left
foot, stepping side right and drawing his left foot under him with weight
(as the lady dances the natural opposite). The man returns to outside
right position and either continues the figure or walks the lady to the
cross. May be danced in tango or vals.

Caminar — To walk: The walk is similar to a natural walking step,
but placing the ball of the foot first instead of the heel. Sometimes
taught that the body and leg must move as a unit so that the body is in
balance over the forward foot. Another style requires stretching
the working leg, placing the foot, and then taking the body over the new
supporting foot regardless of direction. Walks should be practiced
both forward and backward for balance, fluidity, and cat-like gracefulness.

Candombe — A type of dance originally
danced by the descendants of black slaves in the Rio de la Plata region
and still performed in Montevideo, Uruguay. Music of African origin
with a marked rhythm played on a "tamboril" (a kind of drum). It
survives today as a rhythmic background to certain
milongas such as Azabache by Miguel Caló,
Carnavalito by Lucio Demare, Estampa del 800 by Francisco Canaro and the
very popular recordings by Juan Carlos Cacérès. For
more information, see the
Candombe webpage.

Cangrejo — The crab: A repetitive pattern of walking steps and
or sacadas in which the man advances turned nearly
sideways to his partner.

Canyengue — A very old style of tango
from the 1900s to the 1940s. The music from this era had a faster or peppier
2/4 tempo so the dance had a rhythmic flavor similar to that of modern
milonga.
A very close embrace was used as well as some unique posture and footwork
elements. The tango of the arrabal.
Also see Stephen Brown's Styles of Argentine
Tango.

A lunfardo word with several meanings.
It refers to somebody or something from the slums, i.e. low class. It also
describes a gathering where people from the slums dance. It is also
a certain way to perform or dance the tango with a slum attitude.
Finally, it is a rhythmic effect created by Leopoldo Thompson by hitting
the string of the contrabass with the hand or the arch of the bow.

Carancanfunfa (also carancanfun) — In the lingo of the compadritos,
the dance of tango with interruptions (cortes)
and also those who dance it that way in a very skillful manner.

Caricias — Caresses: A gentle stroking with the leg or shoe against
some part of the partner's body. They can be subtle or extravagant.
See Adorno, Firulete, and
Lustrada.

Carpa — The tent: A figure created when the
man leads the lady onto one foot as in, or at the end of, calesita
and then steps back away from her, causing her to lean at an angle
from her foot to his frame. See Inclinada,
Puente.

Castigada — (from castigar - to punish) a punishment: A lofting
of the lady's working leg followed by flexing at the knee and caressing
the working foot down the outside of the supporting leg. Often done
as an adorno prior to stepping forward, as in parada
or in ochos.

Chiche — (pl. chiches) Small ornamental
beats done around the supporting foot with the working foot in time with
the music, either in front or in back as desired. See Adorno,
Firulete.

Codigos — Codes: Refers to the codes of
behavior and the techniques for finding a dance partner in the milongas
in Buenos Aires. Civility, respectfulness, and consideration are
the hallmark of the true and serious milonguero.
See Cabeceo.

Colgada — A spinning move executed by a couple at the end of
an inside barrida in which both dancers lean out
away from each other and spin rapidly until the man leads out with a back
step.

Compadre — A responsible, brave, well
behaved, and honorable man of the working class who dresses well and is
very macho.

Corrida — (also: corridita, a little run)
from correr: to run. A short sequence of running steps.

Corrida Garabito — A milonga step in which
the couple alternately step through between each other, the man with his
right leg and the lady mirroring with her left in espejo,
then pivot to face each other as they step together. May be repeated
as desired.

Corte — Cut: In tango, corte means cutting
the music either by syncopating, or by holding for several beats.
May refer to a position in which the torso is erect over a flexed supporting
leg with the working leg extended forward to a pointe with the knees together
which the man assumes when touching the lady’s foot with his in parada.
The lady moves to the same position from parada as
the man closes over her working foot in mordida,
and pivots on her supporting foot in this position whenever the man leads
an outside barrida. May also refer to a variety of dramatic poses
featuring erect posture, flexed supporting legs, and extended dance lines
by both dancers, used as a finale. See Cuartas.

Cortina — Curtain: A brief musical interlude
between tandas at a milonga.

Contrapaso — A step produced when you
lock one foot behind the other. For instance right foot steps forward,
left foot locks behind right. Now right foot steps forward again.
This can be done in single or double time, in one instance or repetitively.
Also see
Rabona and Traspie.

Crossed Feet — Occurs whenever the couple are stepping together
on his and her right feet and then on his and her left feet, regardless
of direction. The opposite of parallel feet.

Cruzada — From cruzar - to cross; the cross:
A cruzada occurs any time a foot is crossed in front of or in back of the
other. The lady’s position at 5 of the 8-count
basic. May also be called Trabada.

Cuartas — Poses: Dance lines struck and
held as dramatic flourishes at the end of a song. Large dramatic
ones are used for stage or fantasia dancing,
smaller softer versions occasionally in Salon
style, and not used in Milonguero style
at all. See Corte.

Cuatro — A figure created when the lady
flicks her lower leg up the outside of the opposite leg, keeping her knees
together, and briefly creating a numeral 4 in profile. This can be
led with a sacada or with an arrested rotational
lead like a boleo, or it can be used, at the lady’s
discretion, in place of a gancho or as an adornment
after a gancho. See Amague.

Cucharita — The spoon. A lifting of the lady’s foot with
a gentle scooping motion by the man’s foot to the lady’s shoe, usually
led during forward ochos to create a flicking motion
of the lady’s leg.

Cuerpo — Body; torso.

Cunita — Cradle: A forward and backward
rocking step done in time with the music and with or without chiches,
which is useful for marking time or changing direction in a small space.
This movement may be turned to the left or right, danced with either the
left or right leg forward, and repeated as desired. See Hamaca.

D

Desplazamiento — Displacement: Displacing
the partner’s leg or foot using one’s own leg or foot. See Sacada.

Dibujo — Drawing; sketch: A dibujo is done
by drawing circles or other small movements on the floor with one’s toe.
See Firulete,
Lapiz and Rulo.

E

8-Count Basic (Academic Basic) — The
first figure usually taught to beginning students after the walking steps.
See Basico. The 8-count basic includes elements
which are used throughout the dance, although the complete figure itself
is not much used for dancing socially. The name refers to counts
in music, however, the man is not constrained to rigidly mark a step on
each count or beat of the rhythm. He is free to hold or to syncopate,
or cut the beat, as the music moves him or as space on the floor around
him allows. The figure may be danced into or out of at various points
and is not always entered at the beginning and there are shortcuts within
the 8-count basic. For instance, the man may lead the lady from the
cruzada at 5 directly to 2, or he may close his
left foot to his right without weight on 7 and step side left directly
to 2. So in actuality the positions which the dancers move through
at each step are numbered as reference points.

In closed dance position, the steps are as follows:

1. The man settles his weight on his right leg, placing the
lady on her left, and holds. Or, variations: the man steps back right,
the lady forward left. Also, the man may settle on his right leg,
placing the lady on her left, quickly extending his left leg to his left
side to point then closing back to his right leg without weight, as the
lady mirrors his action with her right leg. Or the man may step through
with his right leg between the partners, leading the lady to mirror his
action (espejo) by stepping through with her left
leg, remaining in closed position although briefly resembling promenade
position.

2. The man steps side left, the lady side right, with the man stepping
slightly further than the lady.

3. The man steps forward right in outside right position keeping his
upper body turned toward the lady in contra-body, the lady back left paralleling
the man and also in contra-body. This is a common point of entry
to the figure which the ladies should be aware of.

4. The man steps forward left, the lady back right stretching slightly
more and seeking the man’s center.

5. The man closes his right foot to his left with weight and rotates
his upper body to face forward, leading the lady to cross her left foot
in front of her right with weight (cruzada) as she
finishes moving back in front of the man. Many variations for the lady
begin from this position.

6. The man steps forward left inside his partner (to her center), the
lady back right.

7. The man steps side right, the lady side left.

8. The man closes his left foot to his right with weight, the lady her
right foot to her left.

Steps 1 through 3 (sometimes 1 through 5) are known as the salida.
Steps 3 through 5 are known as "walking the lady to the cross." Steps
6 through 8 are known as resolución.

Elevadas — Dancing without keeping the feet on the floor. This
was the style before the turn of century when tangowas
danced on dirt surfaces in the patios of tenements, low-class taverns,
and on the cobble stone streets. Once tango went uptown enough to actually
be danced on floors (wood, tile, or marble) the dancers fell in love with
the floor, thus we now refer to 'caressing the floor'. Characteristic
of canyengue or orillero-style
tango.

Embutido — Filler or inlay: a foot swinging behind other foot
after an enrosque.

Enganche — Hooking; coupling; the little hook: Occurs when a
partner wraps a leg around the other’s leg, or uses a foot to catch and
hold the other’s foot or ankle.

Enrosque — From enroscar - to coil or
twist: While the lady dances a molinete, the man
pivots on his supporting foot, hooking or coiling the working leg behind
or around in front of the supporting leg.

Entrada — Entrance: Occurs when a dancer steps forward or otherwise
enters the space between their partners legs without displacement.

Entregarme — Surrender: To give oneself up to the leader’s lead.

Espejo — Mirror: To mirror the movement
of ones partner as in "ochos en espejo",
a figure where the man and woman both do forward ochos
at the same time.

F

Fanfarron — A rhythmic tapping or stomping
of the foot in time with the music for dramatic and emotional effect. Boisterous
behavior. See Golpecitos.

Firulete — An adornment; a decoration;
an embellishment: Complicated or syncopated movements which the dancer
uses to demonstrate their skill and to interpret the music. See Adorno
and Lapiz.

Freno — To stop and hold; brake.

G

Gancho — Hook: Occurs when a dancer hooks a
leg sharply around and in contact with their partners leg by flexing the
knee and releasing. May be performed to the inside or outside of
either leg and by either partner.

Garcha — A rather rude lunfardo term
to be used only among friends; noun, 1. penis, pija masculino; 2. worthless
or of bad quality, trucho comprar; 3. bad luck: ¡Qué garcha!
This sucks! cagada malo garchar; verb, 'to screw' coger sexo. In
tango, it may refer to a blind step against line of dance causing a collision
for your partner, a garcha! May also be used as a pejorative, as
in "Politicians are all garchas!" Akin to "screw-off" or "screw-up"
in English slang (yes, this has been cleaned up a little:-).

Giro — Turn: A turning step or figure.

Golpecitos — Little toe taps: Rhythmic
tapping done with a flat foot on the ball or underside of the toe as an
adorno.
See Fanfarron and Zapatazo.

Golpes — Toe taps: With a tilted foot tap
the floor with the toe and allow the lower leg to rebound keeping the knees
together. See Picados and Punteo.

H

Habanera — A side together side together
stepping action entered with a side chassé, commonly used by the
man as he leads backward ochos for the lady in crossed
feet. An Afro-Cuban dance from the mid-19th century which contributed
to tango.

I

J

Junta — (from juntar - to join or bring together as in, one’s feet
or knees) close: In Tango it is essential that the ankles and knees should
come together or pass closely by each other between each step to create
an elegant appearance, preserve balance, and to communicate clearly the
completion of the step to one’s partner. This applies equally to
the man and the lady.

L

Lapiz — Pencil: Tracing of circular motions
on the floor with the toe or inside edge of the working foot, while turning
or waiting on the supporting foot. These may vary from small adornments
done while marking time to large sweeping arcs which precede the lady as
she moves around the man in molinete. See
Dibujo,
Firulete
and Rulo.

Latigazo — Whipping. Describes a whipping
action of the leg as in a boleo.

Latigo — The whip; also used to describe the whipping action
of the leg in boleos to front or back, when led with
energy and speed. See Latigazo and Boleo.

Llevada — From llevar - to transport; a
carry; to take with: Occurs when the man uses the upper thigh or foot to
“carry” the lady’s leg to the next step. Barridas
interspersed with walking steps in which the man takes the lady with him
across the floor.

Lunfardo — The Spanish/Italian slang of
the Buenos Aires underworld which is common in tango lyrics and terminology.

Lustrada — From lustrar - to shine or
polish; the shoe shine: A stroking of the man’s pant leg with a shoe. May
be done by the lady or by the man to himself but is never done to the lady.

M

Marcar (also Marca) — From Marque; to plot a course; guide: To lead.
La marca is the lead.

Media Luna — Half moon: A sweeping circular motion of the leg
similar to a ronde in ballroom but always danced in contact with the floor,
never lofted. Usually danced by the lady and often led with a sacada
to the lady’s leg. May be used to bring the lady to an inside gancho.

Media Vuelta — Half turn, literally: Usually done when the man’s
right foot and the lady’s left foot are free. The man steps forward outside
right (3 of 8-count basic), leading the lady
to step back left and collect, then side right across his center, and forward
left around him as he shifts weight first to his center, then onto his
right foot as he then pivots on both feet ½ turn with his partner,
the lady pivoting on her left foot. Media Vuelta is used by itself to change
direction or maneuver on the dance floor and as an entrance to many combinations.

Milonga — May refer to the music, written
in 2/4 time, or to the dance which preceded the tango,
or to the dance salon where people go to dance tango,
or to a tango dance and party.

Milonguero (feminine; Milonguera)
— Refers to those frequenting the milongas from
the early 1900s to the present who were or are tango fanatics. A person
whose life revolves around dancing tango and the philosophy
of tango. A title given by other tango dancers
to a man (woman) who has mastered the tango dance and embodies the essence
of tango.

Milonguero Cross — A step in which
the man leads the lady to step side left around him, reverses before she
completes the step, and leads her back into the cross. Also known
as ochos cortados.

Milonguero Style — A term originally
given by Europeans and some North Americans to the style of dancing in
a very close embrace; also referred to as confiteria
style, club style, apilado
style, etc. Usually used in the very crowded clubs frequented
by singles in the center of Buenos Aires. Milonguero Style is danced
in a very close embrace with full upper body contact, the partners leaning
into each other (but never hanging on each other) while using simple walking
and turning steps. This style relies on music of the more rhythmic
type as characterized by orquestas like those of
D’Arienzo or Tanturi. Also see Stephen Brown's Styles
of Argentine Tango.

Milonguita — Questionably, an affectionate diminutive for the
milonga.
Milonguita is also a name used for the young girls brought from eastern
Europe and France (Madame Yvonne) with the promise to marry a rich Argentinean,
or the poor girls from the conventillos, all of whom ended up as a hostess’
or prostitutes in the tango bars.

Molinete — Windmill; wheel: A figure in
which the lady dances a grapevine on a circumference around the man, stepping
side-back-side-forward using forward and back ocho
technique and footwork, as the man pivots at the center of the figure.
This is a very common figure in tango which challenges
both the man and the lady to maintain good posture, balance, and technique
in order to perform it well. One of the central codes of tango.

Molinete con Sacadas — An
exciting and more complicated form of molinete
in which the man steps into the lady’s space, displacing her leg with his,
and pivots on a new center to face her as she continues around him.
Many combinations are possible.

Mordida — From morder: to bite; the little
bite: One partner’s foot is sandwiched or trapped between the other partner’s
feet. If the other partner’s feet are also crossed it may be referred
to as Reverse Mordida. Sometimes called Sandwiche
or Sanguchito.

Mordida Alto — A variation of mordida
in which a dancer catches a partners knee between both of their own.

O

Ocho — Eight (pl. ochos); Figure eights: A crossing
and pivoting figure from which the fan in American tango is derived.
Executed as a walking step with flexed knees and feet together while pivoting,
ochos may be danced either forward or backward and are so designated from
the lady’s perspective. El Ocho is considered to be one of the oldest
steps in tango along with caminada,
the walking steps. It dates from the era when women wore floor length
skirts with full petticoats and danced on dirt floors. Since the
lady’s footwork could not be directly observed the quality of her dancing
was judged by the figure she left behind in the dirt after she danced away.

Ocho Cortado — Cut eight: change of
direction: Occurs when a molinete or an ocho-like
movement is stopped and sent back upon itself. Typical in club-style
tango where many such brakes are used to avoid collisions. Describes
a movement done on either foot, pivoting forward of backward, and going
either left or right.

Ocho Defrente — Ocho to the front: Forward ochos
for the lady (i.e., crossing in front).

Ocho para Atrás — Ocho to the back: Back ochos
for the lady (i.e., crossing behind).

Ochos Cortados — Cut eights: A common
figure in Milonguero- or Club-Style
Tango which is designed to allow interpretation of rhythmic music while
dancing in a confined space. See Milonguero
Cross.

Ochos en Espejo — Ochos in the
mirror: The man and the lady execute forward or back ochos
simultaneously, mirroring each others movement.

Orillero — Outskirts; suburbs.

Orillero Style — The style of dance
which is danced in the suburbs, characterized by the man doing many quick
syncopated foot moves and even jumps. See Seguidillas.
Also see Stephen Brown's Styles of Argentine
Tango.

Orquesta — Orchestra: A large tango band
like those of the "Golden Age" of tango frequently referred to as "Orquesta
Tipica."

Otra vez — Another time; repeat; do again.

P

Palanca — Lever; leverage: Describes the subtle assisting of
the lady by the leader during jumps or lifts in tango
fantasia (stage tango).

Parada — From parar - to stop; a stop: The
man stops the lady, usually as she steps crossing back in back ochos
or molinete, with pressure inward at the lady’s
back and at her balance hand and with a slight downward thrust, preventing
further movement. When properly led the lady stops with her feet extended
apart, front and back, and her weight centered. The man may extend his
foot to touch her forward foot as an additional cue and element of style
or he may pivot and step back to mirror her position (fallaway).

Parallel Feet — The natural condition
when a couple dance in an embrace facing each other, the man stepping on
his left, the lady on her right foot, and then the man stepping on his
right, the lady on her left foot, regardless of direction. The opposite
of crossed feet.

Parejas — Couple: The two partners in a tango.

Pasada — Passing over. Occurs when the man has stopped the lady
with foot contact and leads her to step forward over his extended foot.
Used frequently at the end of molinete or after
a mordida. The lady may, at her discretion, step
over the man’s foot or trace her toe on the floor around its front.
Pasada provides the most common opportunity for the lady to add adornos
or firuletes of her own and a considerate leader
will give the lady time to perform if she wishes.

Paso — A step.

Patada — A kick.

Pausa — Pause; wait: Hold a position or pose
for two or more beats of music. See Titubeo.

Picados — A flicking upward of the heel
when turning or stepping forward. Usually done as an advanced embellishment
to ochos or when walking forward. See Golpes.

Pie — A foot.

Pierna — A leg.

Pinta — Appearance; presentation: Includes
clothes, grooming, posture, expression, and manner of speaking and relating
to the world. See Bien Parado.

Pisar — to step.

Piso — Floor

Pista — The dance floor.

Planchadoras — The women who sit all night at the milongas
without being asked to dance. The main reason for that, is because
they don't know how to dance well enough. Yes, it may seem cruel
but one of the many tango lyrics actually says something like, "let them
learn as a consequence of sitting all night."

Planeo — Pivot; glide: Occurs when the man
steps forward onto a foot, usually his left, and pivots with the other
leg trailing (gliding behind) as the lady dances an additional step or
two around him. May also occur when the man stops the lady in mid stride
with a slight downward lead and dances around her while pivoting her on
the supporting leg as her extended leg either trails or leads. Can be done
by either the man or the lady.

Porteño (feminine; Porteña) — An inhabitant of
the port city of Buenos Aires.

Postura — Posture: Correct posture for
tango is erect and elegant with the shoulders always over the hips and
relaxed, and with the center carried forward toward the dance partner over
the toes and balls of the feet. See Derecho
and Eje.

Potranca — A young female racehorse: Sometimes used to refer
to a beautiful long-legged Argentine woman.

Punteo — Point; with the point; peck: Rhythmic
toe taps to the floor done with the toe, or point, of the shoe while the
foot is moving over the floor in a sweeping movement as in boleo
or planeo. See Golpes.

Q

Quebrada — Break; broken: A position where the lady stands on one
foot with the other foot hanging relaxed behind the supporting foot. Sometimes
seen with the lady hanging with most of her weight against the man.
Also a position in which the dancer’s upper body and hips are rotated in
opposition to each other with the working leg flexed inward creating a
broken dance line.

R

Rabona — A walking step with a syncopated cross.
Done forward or backward the dancer steps on a beat, quickly closes the
other foot in cruzada, and steps again on the next
beat. Adapted from soccer. See Contrapaso
and Traspie.

Resolución — Resolution; tango
close: An ending to a basic pattern similar to a half of a box step. 6,
7, and 8 of the 8-count basic.

Ritmo — Rhythm: Refers to the more complex
rhythmic structure of the music which includes the beat or compás
as well as the more defining elements of the song. See Compás.

Rodillas — Knees.

Ronda — (La ronda) Line of dance: Refers to the etiquette of
dancing in the line of dance by moving counter clockwise around the dance
floor, and using concentric lanes in the traffic to facilitate dancing
in close proximity with one another. See Codigos.

Rulo — A curl: Used frequently at the
end of molinete when the man, executing a lapiz
or firulete ahead of the lady, curls his foot in
around the lady and extends it quickly to touch the her foot. An
older term for lapiz.

S

Sacada — The most common term for a displacement
of a leg or foot by the partner’s leg or foot. Occurs when a dancer places
their foot or leg against a leg of their partner and transfers weight to
their leg so that it moves into the space of and displaces the partner’s
leg. See Desplazamiento.

Salida — From salir - to exit; to go out:
The first steps of dancing a tango, or a tango pattern, derived from “¿Salimos
a bailar?” {Shall we (go out to the dance floor and) dance?}.

Salida de Gato — A variation on the basico
in which the man steps side left, forward right outside the lady, diagonal
forward left, and crossing behind right with a lead for forward ochos
for the lady. The lady is led to step side right, back left, diagonal
back right, and crossing forward left, beginning ochos
on her left foot. This figure enters ochos without
using cruzada.

Sentada — From sentar - to sit. A sitting
action: A family of figures in which the lady creates the illusion of sitting
in, or actually mounts, the man’s leg. Frequently used as a dramatic
flourish at the end of a dance.

Stork — See Calesita.
Not used often or much recommended but refers to a position of the lady
where the working leg is held with the lower leg lifted and horizontal
in a figure four, or cuatro, position.

Suave — Smooth, steady and gentle, soft, stylish. A major
objective in tango.

Syncopation — Syncopate; syncopated; syncopa: A musical term
adopted by dancers and used in a way which is technically incorrect, musically,
and leads to endless arguments between dancers and musicians. Musically
it refers to an unexpected or unusual accenting of the beats in a measure
such as the two and four beats of swing music rather than the more common
accent on the one and three beats. Dancers have come to use the term
to describe cutting the beat, or stepping on the half-beat, which annoys
musicians all to heck. Maybe if they could dance the tango we would
pay more attention to them.

Sube y Baja — Literally, to go up and
down: A milonga step in which the couple dance forward-together
and back-together in outside right position with a pendulum action of the
hips. See
Ven y Va.

T

Tanda — A set of dance music, usually three
to five songs, of the same dance in similar style, if not by the same orquesta.
The tandas are separated by a brief interlude of non-tango music called
a "cortina" (or curtain) during which couples select each other.
It is customary to dance the entire tanda with the same partner unless
the man is rude or very disappointing as a dance partner, in which case
the lady may say gracias (thank you) and leave. See Codigos,
Cortina.

Tango — Popular music from the Rio de la
Plata region dating back to 1885-95, defined by a 2/4 rhythm until the
1920s when a 4/8 rhythm became common. A popular dance originating
in the mid-19th century which descended from Candombe,
Habanera,
Milonga,
and, according to some tango scholars, the Tango Andaluz. The exact
origins of Tango are a historical mystery. Also see Susan August
Brown's Argentine Tango: A Brief History.

Tango de Salon — An elegant and
very social style of tango characterized by slow,
measured, and smoothly executed moves. It includes all of the basic
tango steps and figures plus sacadas, giros
and boleos. The emphasis is on precision, smoothness,
and elegant dance lines. The dancing couple do not embrace as closely
as in older styles and the embrace is flexible, opening slightly to make
room for various figures and closing again for support and poise.
Also see Stephen Brown's Styles of Argentine
Tango.

Tango Fantasia — This is a hybrid
tango,
an amalgam of traditional tango steps, ballet, ballroom, gymnastics, ice-skating
figures, etc. This is what most people see when they buy tickets
for a tango show. The moves include all of the basic tango moves
plus, ganchos, sacadas,
boleos
of every kind, sentadas, kicks, leaps, spins, lifts,
and anything else that the choreographer and the performers think that
they can get away with. Alas, this style of dancing shows up from
time to time at the milongas, usually badly performed
by ill-behaved tango dancers and frustrated tango performers who insist
on getting their money’s worth even if they have to kick, step on, bump
into, or trip every other dancer on the floor. This behavior is NOT
socially acceptable. Also see Stephen Brown's
Styles
of Argentine Tango.

Tanguero — (feminine; Tanguera) Refers to anyone who is deeply
and seriously passionate about any part of tango,
such as its history, music, lyrics, etc. In Argentina most tangueros
are scholars of lunfardo, music, orchestrations,
Gardel, etc. One can be a tanguero without being a milonguero
and a milonguero without being a tanguero (very
few milongueros would be referred to as tangueros).
And of course, one can be an extremely good tango dancer without being
either, such as stage dancers, who are quite disdained by real milongueros
and tangueros, unless they go the extra distance and become milongueros
by going to the milongas, and/or tangueros as well.
An aficionado.

Tijera — Scissor: A movement, usually danced by the man, in which
an extended leg is withdrawn and crossed in front of the supporting leg
without weight so that it remains free for the next step or movement.
May also refer to a figure in which the man steps forward in outside position
(left or right) caressing the outside of the lady’s leg with his leg (as
in 3 of the 8-count basic), then crosses behind
himself which pushes the lady’s leg to cross in front. May also refer
to a jumping step from tango fantasia (stage
tango) where the lady swings her legs up and over with the second leg going
up as the first leg is coming down (frequently seen as an aerial entry
to
sentadas).

Traspie — Cross foot; triple step: A walking
step with a syncopated cross. Using two beats of music the dancer does
step-cross-step beginning with either foot and moving in any direction.
See Contrapaso and Rabona.

Truco — Literally, trick or stunt: May be used to describe fancy
athletic movements in addition to lifts for stage or tango
fantasia.

V

Vals — Argentine waltz: Sometimes referred to
as Vals Criollo, or Vals Cruzada, and danced to what is arguably the most
beautiful dance music anywhere (editorial bias!:-).

Vareador — From horse racing; a man who walks the horses but
is never allowed to mount them: In tango, it refers to a man who dances
and flirts with all the ladies but never gets involved with anyone.
May also refer to a man who is a clumsy or inconsiderate lead who “might
just as well be walking a horse.”

Viborita — Viper; the little snake: A figure in which the man
places his right leg between his partners legs and takes a sacada
to first her left and then her right legs in succession using a back and
forth slithering motion of the right leg and foot.

Volcada — from Volcar - to tip-over or capsize; a falling step:
The leader causes the follower to tilt or lean forward and fall off her
axis
before he catches her again. The process produces a beautiful leg
drop from her. The movement requires the support of a close embrace.

Z

Zarandeo — A vigorous shake to and fro; a swing; a push to and
fro; to strut about: In tango, it is the swinging back and forth,
pivoting in place on one foot, marked to the lady in time with the music.